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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be first film shot in 8K

Marvel Studios' upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be the first feature film to be shot using 8K cameras, director James Gunn has confirmed.

Specifically, the sequel to 2014's surprise hit superhero caper will be shot on the RED 8K WEAPON Vista Vision, introduced in April 2015, with the new RED Dragon 8K sensor. The high-spec, high-price camera -- they start at $20,000 (£13,700) -- is capable of recording full 8K footage (8192 x 4320) at 75 frames per second, in 2.40:1 widescreen. It is, in cinematography terms, a beast. "Very excited to announce Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be the first film to shoot using the RED Weapon 8k," Gunn revealed on Twitter. "I cannot even begin to express how proud I am that Marvel and everyone involved in the production has decided to be the first to shoot on our WEAPON 8K," Jarred Land, president of RED Digital Cinema, said via statement. "Given the enormous success of the first movie, we know first-hand how critical their team was in selecting a camera for the second installment. We consider this a huge affirmation that RED’s investment in cutting edge technology continues to be justified."

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The high-powered rig should be perfect for capturing the escalating scale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even accounting for many of the locations the Guardians visit being heavily "edited" by CGI. It's also easy to see parent company Disney using the tech on future movies set in a galaxy far, far away if it proves successful on Guardians Vol. 2.

However, don't expect to see the fruits of an 8K film in the home just yet, or even most cinemas. The Ultra High Definition Alliance -- a consortium of groups invested in televisions, display technologies, and film -- has only just finalised industry standards for 4K, while 8K projectors remain rare. Even 35mm IMAX film has a digital resolution equivalent to 6K (6000 lines of horizontal resolution), while 70mm offers something closer to 12K, but only for full-size IMAX screens.

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Where Gunn and Marvel are likely to see the benefit of shooting in 8K in the mid-term is in getting a better 4K picture. Footage shot on 8K sensors like the WEAPON can be "downsampled" to 4K, resulting in a sharper picture, richer colours, and better contrast levels than a 4K native camera.

As to exactly what Gunn will be shooting in 8K, details remain scarce. Gunn has previously confirmed the sequel will address the identity of Star-Lord's father (and that it won't be J'son of Spartax as it is in the comics) and introduce new team members (including Pom Klementieff, rumoured to be playing Mantis), while Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige has confirmed that cosmic villain Thanos won't appear.